Depressing but sadly predictable start to a new season

Victories in the first match have been as rare as female posters on the BBS whilst I've been watching us. Predicting relegation after losing the first game, sometimes even before a ball has been kicked in anger, isn't new either. It's been going on for years and will continue to happen.
However, we now have three home games on the bounce in a week, an opportunity to get points on the board and progression into the next round of the League Cup. Hopefully, we take the opportunity.
Personally, I'm looking forward to the season, watching our new squad of young players and getting back to my usual seat at Oakwell. I love it as much now as I did when I was a kid. That'll not change, nor will my optimistic outlook, especially whilst we have as good a gaffer in charge of the team as I've known here. I may well be an optimistic, rose coloured specs wearing Happy Clapper, but I don't care and won't apologise to anyone for being so.
As well as watching my team play at home, it also presents me with the opportunity of being able to spend more time with barnsley66. Also, I'll get to enjoy the company of jedi one, Jay, nezbfc & especially his Dad. The nez family of fans is expanding this season, too, another bonus.

 

My sentiments exactly Kev.

 

Yesterday was crap though Ashton Gate is lovely and I had a nice tea at Rick Stein's place after the game. The season has many twists and turns to come and who knows where it will take us.

I can't say I have the same enthusiasm as I used to even 5 years ago but admire those who have. Seems weird not to have a Season ticket but strangely liberating. On holiday now until the end of August so hopefully I will miss our bedding in period and in the next few weeks we cam get tbe quality players in that we desperately need.

Onwards and upwards

 

Enjoy your holiday, old mate.

 

I echo your post, but I find it rather sad that a lot of todays fans demand winning every game . If the team does not win then its the end of the world. What ever happened to going to a match to supporting your team, win lose or draw & what ever the outcome, take it on the chin. If it is all about winning , then unfortunately you will be dissapointed & finally, I can never understand why people bother going when clearly they grumble about everything & anything to do with the club & are clearly unhappy with things. For me, leisure is for pleasure, when I stop enjoying something, I give over with it.

 

Agreed, not even the best sides in our league, or any other league, can win every game. We'll win some this season, we'll draw some and we'll lose some. My tactic is to enjoy the wins and ignore the defeats by sticking my head in the sand and saying things like "It's only football, there's more important things in life". It will be a long hard season but I believe in the end we'll be OK.

 

I can only speak for myself, mate, and my interpretation of events. Others can say or do as they wish (within Site Admin rules, obviously). They will not influence me in any way, any more than I them.
Whilst I've been watching us, any success has, sadly, always been all too fleeting. However, when that success does comes round, I believe it tastes that much sweeter and been more appreciated, after we've endured the less than salubrious periods.

 

Now, more than ever before it's about us having a go and giving out a few "bloody noses" along the way to teams that should do better than us. At this stage it seems impossible to me to predict whether there will be at least 3 teams worse than us this year.
As echoed above - let's just see where it takes us - would we have preferred not to have come up in the first place?

 

Nice one kev.

I'm hopefully our new addition (neice) has the effect she has done to date. Very rarely do we do anything other than win when she comes along. So we thought we would try her at a full season and got her a ticket.

Just read out your post to my dad which brought a smile to his face and I'm sure we will both raise a glass (or have an extra pint) this afternoon.

Looking forward to getting back into the swing of things at oakwell.

And hopefully Jay continues to arrive 10 minutes late which inevitably sees us 1 nil up by the time he takes his seat lol

 

Brilliant!!

 

Kev, can you imagine what life would be like on here if we actually did win our first game of the season. We'd be in meltdown.
Nah, best lose a few, feels more normal.

 

Well, I'd like to experience it a bit more often than I have over the years!

 

Every job I ever did in my working life involved a period of intense on the job training and usually 6 months
"probation" before my supervisors decided whether I was up to the job or not.

We've brought ten new players into the Club during the close season. They have had to adjust to their new surroundings/accommodation/ diet, training and the style of play of their team mates already at the Club.
It takes time to develop any kind of understanding.

Mallan was the first through the door on 19th May followed by Lindsay on 22nd June, McGeehan 23rd June,
Fryers 1st July and Isgrove on 2nd July. As we know those five are currently unavailable due to injury and Pearson only signed last Friday.

Of those who featured yesterday, McCarthy has been at the Club 54 days, Pinnock 37 days, Williams 17 days
and Potts 2 days. I honestly think we've got to cut these lads some slack before we start writing the season off.
The season ends in May 2018 and there are 45 games left to play plus we understand there could be more players
yet to come in who hopefully will provide the "firepower" we badly need.

To my mind we need to stay calm and take a rain check after 5-15 games before we start to even speculate where we are going to be in the league , come the final game at Derby on 6th May 2018.

 

We have to give them time, completely agree. And of the last two seasons alone writing our team off too early is daft. It may be ok. It may be that we go down. I'm sure many posters on here have seen us promoted and relegated a number of times. And the world doesn't become magical or end in either scenario. It's just football. As long as we have a team that gives everything they possibly have then I'll support them.

My concern from yesterday is lots of people saying it was the likes of McDonald, Mowatt, Yiadom and Bradshaw who were bad. Our so called more experienced ones.

The players all have talent that has been identified. I just feel a few older heads, a couple of good goalscorers on loan, and things will settle down. If we get a couple of wins out of the first 5/6 games then that will do for me. I'd take 10 points from first 10 games if offered it now. Something to build on.